probable nut job idea

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Looking at the pictures of the Delta LA200 midi lathe that is somewhere on its way to my shop, I had an idea that I suspect is another one of my nut job ideas. (I do want credit for the self-recognition of nut job ideas! :p )

The idea is, could I get an appropriately sized longer belt and make / have made a riser block for the headstock in order to increase swing?
 
Mark,

Well, yes, you could. And I'm all for tool mods. But...

That lathe only weighs 85 pounds. If you start swinging something heavy on it, at 500 rpm, it might get pretty exciting right quick... ;)

And I wonder if the bearings would be up to the task?

OTOH, maybe you can turn the headstock around, and try some outboard turning? I'm pretty sure that's disrecommended, and I can't tell from the picture if it would be possible. Fair warning: once you start doing mods like that, you're starting to walk down a very long road... ;) Just ask Jeff...

Thanks,

Bill
 
Robert, I'm glad I was able to amuse you!

I'd need to also rotate one of the pulleys to swing it 180, assuming that the bolt holes have mirror-plane symmetry. (Yes, yes, I am a chemist and really do think in these complicated words - a by-product of the master's degree...)
 
Don't forget to raise the tailstock and tool rest the same amount. But......

I'm dumb as a plank when it comes to engineering, physics, etc. But I'm pretty good at learning things the hard way. Consider how much easier it is to loosen a tight bolt with a wrench or cheater bar that's a little longer. Those same principles apply to the pressures you put on a piece of wood that's a larger diameter than the lathe was designed for. The speed the wood is traveling also increases as the diameter increases. All these kinds of factors are the reason why they make bigger lathes, with slower speeds, and more iron instead of just blocking up a smaller lathe. If you're lucky the lathe will just break but you could also hurt yourself.
 
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